July 12, 2006

We're doomed...

Speaking of the World Cup and hyperstition .... according to the Mail yesterday: 'Spain hired an American professor of psychology, Leonard Zaichowsky, who said of the Spanish media: 'Alll they say is, "We're doomed," and "we're cursed!"' Evidently, however, the professor didn't help the Spanish team escape the curse.

In answer to my question, 'is Gattuso the only World Cup winner to have played in the Scottish league?', reader Bruce Bowie came up with the following:

By my reckoning there are three other WC winners who've played in Scotland:
Juninho Paulista - Brazil 2002 (Celtic 2004)
Stephane Guivarc'h - France 1998 (Rangers 1998-1999)
Lionel Charbonnier - France 1998 (Rangers 1998-2001)
And the least said about the WC winnner who managed the Scottish national team the better...

A learned colleague tells me Peter Bonnetti was in the England WC squad in '66 and played for Dundee United in the late '70s. Question is: did he get a medal?

What is unique about Gatusso, however, is that, unlike all of the players listed above, he played in Scotland BEFORE winning the World Cup...